What biological clocks and geological rocks tell us about life in space
One of the first geological lessons we learn is that continents are constantly moving. The evidence of these plate tectonic movements is written in the rocks. But the rocks only tell us half of the...
View ArticleChipped teeth suggests Homo naledi had a unique diet
There was a lot of excitement when scientists reported the discovery of an entirely new hominin species, Homo naledi, in 2015. Since then, we are gradually learning more about them. For example,...
View ArticleMountain forests don't need humans – but we need them
Forests in the mountain regions of our planet are fragile ecosystems, suffering from the impact of climate change. However, to survive in the long-term, these ecosystems do not need human intervention....
View ArticleTree-of-heaven's prolific seed production adds to its invasive potential
Tree-of-heaven—or Ailanthus—is an invasive triple threat, according to a team of plant pathologists. The species produces seeds early in its lifespan, tends to make millions of viable seeds during its...
View ArticleAfforestation with non-native trees alters island soils
A healthy global debate has occurred concerning the benefits of using non-native trees for restoring some aspects of ecosystem function in degraded habitats. In many cases, the stresses associated with...
View ArticleStudy reveals seven complete specimens of new flower, all 100 million years old
A Triceratops or Tyrannosaurus rex bulling its way through a pine forest likely dislodged flowers that 100 million years later have been identified in their fossilized form as a new species of tree.
View ArticlePanama's native tree species excel in infertile tropical soils
Teak, the most valuable species for tropical reforestation, often performs poorly in the acid soils of steeply sloping land in the tropics. As human population skyrockets and land becomes a scarce...
View ArticleNew study contradicts assumption that true frogs diversified as they expanded...
Evolutionary biologists long have supposed that when species colonize new geographic regions they often develop new traits and adaptations to deal with their fresh surroundings. They branch from their...
View ArticleOnce-abundant ash tree and antelope species face extinction—IUCN Red List
North America's most widespread and valuable ash tree species are on the brink of extinction due to an invasive beetle decimating their populations, while the loss of wilderness areas and poaching are...
View ArticleScientists: Ash tree species pushed to brink of extinction
Five prominent species of ash tree in the eastern U.S. have been driven to the brink of extinction from years of lethal attack by a beetle, a scientific group says.
View ArticleWinter restricts innovation—A new model for tropical plant biodiversity is...
Based on data from 10 long-term forest monitoring plots, including seven from the Smithsonian's ForestGEO network, a team led by Jacob Usinowicz during his doctoral dissertation at the University of...
View ArticleResearchers find recipe for forest restoration
The good news: Recognizing the incredible value of forests in providing habitat, storing carbon dioxide, purifying water and more, people around the world are working to restore forests destroyed in...
View ArticleTwo Caribbean bird-catcher trees named after two women with overlooked...
Known for their biodiversity richness, the Caribbean Islands are now adding two new species of bird-catcher trees to their list of botanical treasures. Commonly referred to as bird-catcher trees, the...
View ArticleSpectral library reveals how boreal trees reflect solar radiation
The number of Earth observation satellites monitoring the environment is growing fast. New satellites are capable of distinguishing increasingly narrow bands of wavelengths and making increasingly...
View ArticleTropical diversity takes root in relationships between fungi and seeds
A team led by Smithsonian scientists in Panama exposed a key to understanding tropical tree diversity by studying how fungi interact with seeds that linger in the ground. Despite a smorgasbord of...
View ArticleTropical tree roots represent an underappreciated carbon pool
Ask someone to draw a tree and s/he will invariably draw a trunk and branches—leaving the roots out of the picture. In a unique study of tropical tree roots at the Smithsonian Tropical Research...
View ArticleNew analysis suggests that preserving rare species is vital to tropical forests
The world's tropical forests are in "a critical state" in which the extinction of rare tree species could be a tipping point, say scientists who have developed an analytical method to map their...
View ArticleNew study maps priority areas around world to protect mammals
A new study led by ANU has mapped priority areas around the world to protect thousands of mammal species, with a focus on species with few close relatives including echidnas in Australia and PNG and...
View ArticleStudy looks at how residential yards impact food webs
University of Delaware doctoral student Desiree Narango is researching trees and shrubs planted in the lawns of homeowners throughout the Washington, D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia areas to...
View ArticleMillions of city trees at risk from rising temperatures
A new study has found that almost one quarter of trees in Australian cities are at risk from increasing temperatures in urban environments due to climate change and urban heat islands, posing a threat...
View ArticleThe importance of biodiversity in forests could increase due to climate change
Forests fulfill numerous important functions, and do so particularly well if they have a diversity of trees, according to a new study. As a second study demonstrates, forest managers do not have to...
View ArticleHow our forests are adapting to climate change
How do trees adjust to the effects of global warming? EPFL researchers have studied how beech and spruce trees – two of the most common plant species in Europe – react to changing temperatures. And...
View ArticleBelowground fungal interactions with trees help explain non-native plant...
New research published by a team of scientists from the USDA Forest Service and Purdue University suggests that tiny soil fungi that help and are helped by trees may influence a forest's vulnerability...
View ArticleScientists call for action to tackle the threat of invasive tree species to a...
An invasive Australian tree is now posing a serious threat to a global diversity 'hotspot' according to new collaborative research between Landcare Research in New Zealand, the Universities of...
View ArticleScientists call for action to tackle an invasive tree species
An invasive Australian tree is now posing a serious threat to a global diversity 'hotspot' according to new collaborative research between Landcare Research in New Zealand, the Universities of...
View ArticleDead trees are alive with fungi
Little research has been conducted to date on fungi that live on dead trees, although they are vital to forest ecology, breaking down dead wood and completing the elemental cycle between plants and...
View ArticleA race against pine: Wood-boring wasp in North America threatened by a...
Invasive species have diverse impacts in different locations, including biodiversity loss, as a result of native species being outcompeted for similar resources. A U.S. research team, led by Dr. Ann...
View ArticleEcuador: Deforestation destroys more dry forest than climate change
Tropical forests all over the world are at risk from climate change and deforestation for arable land. Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Thünen-Institute compared losses...
View ArticlePutting the P in photosynthesis of tropical forests
How forests in Panama and elsewhere grow, decline, and recover affects carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and human welfare. Scientists are investigating whether computational models of these...
View ArticleNursery stock, homeowner preferences drive tree diversity in Salt Lake Valley
Utah's early residents would be surprised to see the canopy of trees that covers the Salt Lake Valley today. Few trees are native to the valley, which means that most of the trees present there today...
View Article
